Highlights of the new features and improvements in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge: grouped notifications and quick action for notifications, shortcut and quick action support in home screen and apps screen, improved quick settings, new gestures in camera app, adjustable display size and screen resolution, and new blue light filter, more than 2 apps in pop-up view of multi-window, and improved always-on display.

If you have a non-Samsung phone with Android Nougat, some of the features discussed below may be not available in your device. You may check Android Nougat guides.

Grouped notifications and quick action

In Android Nougat, multiple notifications from the same app are now grouped.

And you can also take a quick action in the notification panel directly. The quick actions supported are offered by individual app developers. In other words, quick actions you can use are limited by individual apps.

Actually, in the recalled Galaxy Note 7 (with Android Marshmallow), Samsung already implemented the bundled notification through the new UI.

Now, in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, grouped notification and quick action is natively supported. This means more apps will support direct action in the notification panel.

Launcher shortcut support

Another new feature in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge is shortcut (quick action) support in launcher.

In the Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, you now have some app specific options. For example, if you tap and hold Google Play store app, in addition to the two universal options, you have an app specific option: my apps. In other words, you can enter My Apps page in Google Play app directly from Galaxy S7 home screen. Google Keep app has even more options.

Such options is similar to widgets. Of course, only app developer can add such options. Android Nougat and the the launcher simply support it.

Multi Window currently is a signature feature in Samsung Galaxy devices. Although this feature is very useful for some Galaxy S7 or S7 edge owners, many owners may inadvertently enter Multi Window mode quite often. This guide shows you how to disable (and enable of course) Multi Window on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, and how to enable/disable the pop-up view gesture for Multi Window on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

FYI, Android will only start to offer similar multi window feature in the coming Android N (which is currently in Preview 2).

But for some owners, they may not use this feature. They want to disable Multi Window on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

Because it is so easy to enter Multi Window mode inadvertently.

It is a bit annoying when you enter Multi Window mode accidentally.

And to make it worse, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge is very responsive: it responds so fast that you have no time to stop.

Sometimes, Galaxy S7 responds to several accidental taps when you realized the error.

Tapping and holding left Recent button to enter Multi Window button is not the a good choice. Due to the tiny bezel, most Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 owners probably have entered Multi Window on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge inadvertently at least a few times.

It is hard to avoid it.

Another way to enter Multi Window on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge is dragging down diagonally from either end of the top edge inside supported apps. This will convert the app to pop-up view (floating).

Some Galaxy S7 and S7 owners may also enter Multi Window mode accidentally through this method when they actually just want to scroll the page.

So, at least some Galaxy S7 and Galxy S7 edge owners are looking for settings to disable Multi Window on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

Edge screen on Galaxy S7 edge is the unique feature that differs Samsung Galaxy S7 edge from normal Samsung Galaxy S7. It allows you to access your favourite apps, tasks, contacts, and more from various edge panels.

Compared to Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy S7 edge offers a polished edge screen. It can be very useful even for ordinary users.

Please note, Edge screen on Galaxy S7 edge is a software feature. The curved screen is not a requirement for such a feature. Technically, any Android vendors can implement similar features on any Android phones.

But Samsung only implemented edge screen feature in edge variants of the phones.

Please note, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+, and Galaxy Note 9 all have similar edge screen features. So this guide applies to all Galaxy S phones and Galaxy Note phones newer than Galaxy S7. For Galaxy S9 and S9+, you may check this guide.

How to access edge screen on Galaxy S7 edge?

You can access edge screen on Galaxy S7 edge no matter the screen is on or off.

But the edge screen features you can access when the screen is off are different from those when the screen is on.

When the screen of Galaxy S7 edge is off

When the screen is off, you can only view edge feeds including notifications in the edge screen on Galaxy S7 edge.

When the screen is off (no matter Galaxy S7 always-on display is on or off), you can quickly swipe your finger along the edge screen in one direction, and then back in the opposite direction.

In other words, you can swipe “V” or “^” in the edge of the screen to wake up edge screen on Galaxy S7 edge as shown below.

When the screen of Galaxy S7 edge is on

If the edge panel handle is not visible, you can go to Settings — Edge screen — Edge panels, and then tap the switch to activate edge panel handle.

To access edge screen on Galaxy S7 edge when the screen is on, you can drag the edge panel handle towards the centre of the screen. Then, swipe to the left or right to switch between the Edge panels as shown below.… Read the rest

Samsung Smart Switch for PC/Mac. The Smart Switch for PC/Mac allows you to backup phone (Galaxy phones only) data to the PC/Mac, and to restore backup data (not limited to Galaxy phones) to Galaxy S7.

When you switch to Galaxy S7, Smart Switch mobile app can migrate old phone data to Galaxy S7 in 2 different ways:

Wireless transfer through WiFi Direct. If your old phone is 1). an Android phone with Android ICS 4.o or later, or 2). an iPhone with iCloud backup, you can use this method. You need install Smart Switch app on the old Android phone.

Wired transfer through USB cable. If you old phone is 1). a Galaxy phone with Android Jelly Bean 4.3 or later, or 2). an iPhone with iOS 5 or later, or 3). a BlackBerry with BlackBerry 7 OS or earlier, you can migrate the phone data from old device to Galaxy S7 with the USB connector in your Galaxy S7 box and the USB cable.

This guide shows you 3 different methods of taking screenshot on Galaxy S7 and S7 edge without using any apps: Assistant menu method, palm swipe method and Home button+Power button method. Usage of Galaxy S7 scroll capture, which allows you to take screenshot on Galaxy S7 for long webpages or app pages that need more than one screen, is also illustrated in detail.

Why take screenshot on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

You may consider to take screenshot on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge (print screen) when:

you want to share your achievements in a game/app;

you need share a location in Google map;

you want to share the content of a webpage, instead of the URL;

you want to keep a record of online payments;

…

Anyway, it is very easy to take screenshot on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. You do not need any apps to print Galaxy S7 screen.

Actually, there are at least 3 different methods to take screenshot on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge without using any apps.

This guide also show you how to use the new screen capture feature in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, scroll capture, which allows you to take screenshot on Galaxy S7 for long webpages or app pages that need more than one screen.

3 different methods to take screenshot on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge

You can use any of the 3 methods to take screenshot on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge:

Home button+ Power button method

Palm swipe method

Assistant menu method

Among the 3 methods for screen capture on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge:

Assistant menu method is the simplest. Your grandma can do it with one hand.

Home button+ Power button method is the quickest.

Method 1: use Home button + Power button

Like in all previous Galaxy S devices, you can take screenshot on Galaxy S7 and S7 edge by pressing and holding Home button and Power button simultaneously. You may check this page on the button layout of Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.

This actually is the quickest method to take screenshot on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge if you get used to it.

Some Galaxy S7 owners may fail to get the screenshot usually because of one of the following two reasons:

they press the two buttons, but not hold the buttons until screenshot is taken.

they fail to hold the two buttons simultaneously.

In reality, you always hold one button earlier. But if you hold the button too long without holing the other button, you will get unexpected behavior:

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